Tonka Tower  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Page Views:  3,244. Good page?    Administrators:  Andrew Gram, Perin Blanchard, grk10vq, Tom Erickson Submitted By:  Tradkelly on Nov 29, 2001 Make this area a Favorite What's New   Print a Mini-Guide with routes Add Route  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event

Read about Anchor Replacement and Restrictions in Arches National Park MORE INFO >>> This information is a public crowdsourcing effort between the Access Fund, and Mountain Project. You should confirm closures, restrictions, and/or related dates. Keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment

Rapping off superman-style at dusk, October 2003.

Description 

This isolated mudpile of a tower a mile cross-country hike from the Windows parking lot offers a single climb, a 5.8 A0 PG climb. It's alternately described as fun, scary, and ewww, but it's nice for some bolt ladder and mudpile experience, as well as solitude. The bats come out in droves at night in the summer (please don't tease them with the 'rock in a sock' ploy), and there's a grand view of the park from the pillars. It's also a good place to acquaint oneself with easy desert aid.

Getting There 

Drive 9.3 miles from the Arches visitor center and take a right (E) on the Windows road. Drive to the loop parking area at the end of the road and park. Look south for three rocks a mile away - that's the destination. Hike up 2/3 of the way to the Windows arches on the established Turret Arch trail, then head off south across slickrock, staying west of the formations, until the rock ends. Continue SSW across the desert in washes to avoid cryptobiotic soil and cacti towards the three towers in the near distance. The central tower is your goal; just to the right of it as you approach is a 30' spire with a capstone that resembles an alien head from the Aliens movies. Go to that rock and look E at the ugly central tower, then decide if you're ready for an adventure. Be prepared to talk pleasantly with park rangers about your knowledge of cryptobiotic soils and hiking offtrail if you go during the day. Wear boots, not sandals, for the approach - there's lots of cacti.

Featured Route For Tonka Tower

Tonka Tower 5.11  UT : Moab Area : ... : Tonka Tower

This tower requires a fairly short hike and an adventurous climber, or two.Climbed at 5.8 A0 or 5.11.While climbing the bottom section for my second time, I inadvertently knocked a seemingly "OK" piece of rock off the wall - it was huge. Don't know what the current choss factor is like, but be careful.This route is fun and often windy. Fresh snow can make topping out the final moves a little scary, so avoid that situation of possible, but I guess that goes for many routes!The climbing is fairly ...[more]   Browse More Classics in UT